Are you there blog? It's me, Jen...with a burrito bowl

Back to blogging with a burrito bowl

If anyone’s interested, I’m resolved to writing my blog again…if you’re not interested, well that’s OK too. For the record, I didn’t stop writing because I stopped cooking, or because I hate blogging – I had more than I could handle on my plate, and when it came down to it, the blog got cut.

You know how something like that starts, right? You stop doing something for a week or two which turns into a month and the next thing you know Christmas is over and you’re surrounded by candy wrappers and empty bottles of Baileys. (No?? is that just me?) Just kidding…that didn’t actually happen, but I didn’t intend to stop blogging for good either.

SO I’m back..and I’m cooking and my kids are continuing to NOT eat what I make. Seriously, dinner has turned into a ridiculous three-ring circus at my house. I feel like a big Italian mama from a movie who’s constantly saying “EAT”! One dinner I can kinda/sorta get them to eat…burito bowl. The bonus? You can have dinner completely on the table in less than 20 minutes. Literally…this has become a new weekly staple at our house. It’s certainly not a creative stroke of genius, but because it’s healthy, fast and I can get my kids to eat it – I obviously wanted to share!

The recipe:1 lb thin sliced chicken breasts
1 carton chicken broth (4 cups) (you can use water too)
Bay leaf
1 package Uncle Ben's 90 second whole grain rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 avocado
½ lime
2 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp chili powder
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Tabasco (if desired)

Pour chicken stock in a large skillet on high and add garlic, black pepper, salt and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add chicken breasts, re-cover and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and let cool for 5 minutes.

Once it’s cooled, shred with two forks (I cooked an extra chicken breast to throw into a couple of salads this week.).

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions, remove from the microwave and let stand.

Mix black beans with garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper and heat in the microwave for 1 minute.

Add rice and check for seasoning Dice avocado, and top with lime juice. In your dinner bowls, divide the rice bean mixture and top with chicken, corn, shredded cheese, scallions and salsa. I like to pop mine in the microwave for one minute to heat up the salsa. Top with avocado and serve.

I serve my kids the rice bean mixture (pre-chili powder), and separate out chicken, corn, avocado. I add some fruit, chunks of cheese and grape tomatoes to their plates (and these days ranch dressing…I can get them to eat the chicken if they’re dipping).

This recipe makes enough for two adult and two kid servings…well my kids anyway. If I had teenagers I would definitely up the ante!